Weather Eyewith John Maunder El Niño and La Niña are complex weather patterns resulting from variations in ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of what is known as the... Read More

Andrew von DadelszenFormer Regional Councillor It is time to recognise the vision displayed by the self-appointed Civic Amenities Group (CAG), who have recently briefed Tauranga City Council on their vision for our great city. The outcome appears... Read More

Simon BridgesNational MP simonbridges.co.nz On September 20 last year, National was re-elected for a third term with an increased share of the vote. Last week I gave a speech in Parliament highlighting what we have achieved one year on, such as... Read More

Brian RogersRogers Rabbits www.sunlive.co.nz Readers have been vociferous in their responses to our exclusive story last week on the missing star scandal. We're not entirely sure what vociferous means, but we won't be messing with vociferocity.... Read More

Jane NeesBOP Regional Councillorwww.janenees.co.nz The Bay of Plenty faces many biosecurity threats to its freshwater, marine environment and land, and everyone needs to be vigilant. As an island nation, New Zealand is largely free of many of the... Read More

Matt CowleyTauranga City Councillor This week at council we balanced the views of fire authorities, pro- and anti-fireworks campaigners, event organisers, and other residents to re-confirm the rules for lighting fires throughout the city.We have... Read More

Catherine StewartTauranga City Councillor A stadium is being mooted by the Civic Amenities Group. This group comprises of Paul Adams, Richard Cashmore, Dame Susan Devoy, Neil Craig, Peter Farmer, Graeme Horsley, Tom Roper and Mark Thomas. For there... Read More

Sideline SidSports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz Last week Sideline Sid spent a couple of hours watching the opening morning of the Carrus Open at the Tauranga Golf Club. The professional tournament is part of the Charles Tour, and... Read More

Jen RileyWBOP Recreation AdvisorSport Bay of Plenty They say you can't buy happiness ... but you can buy a bicycle and that's pretty close! We are so lucky in Tauranga that we have a fantastic climate for cycling and a number of great trails that... Read More

Weather Eyewith John Maunder A sunspot is a relatively dark, sharply defined region on the solar disc - marked by an umbra (dark area) which is 2000 degrees Celsius cooler than the effective photosphere temperature. The average diameter of a sunspot... Read More

Catherine StewartTauranga City Councillor The World Health Organisation recently classified glyphosate as 2A 'probably carcinogenic' in March 2015, following a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer with experts from 11 countries. Tauranga... Read More

Matt CowleyTauranga City Councillor Tauranga residents have made it clear that they want their reserves, road sides, and gardens tidy. This means keeping the grass short and gardens free of weeds. Any barefooted enthusiast knows short grass during... Read More